The consistency of conference championships in the past few years under Hartnell College football coach Matt Collins has the team believing it can continue the trend.

When the football team heads up to gold country on Saturday, they will embark on a 2015 journey involving players who will try to keep the winning ways going.

Hartnell is coming off a Golden Coast Conference championship where it went 5-1 in the conference, 9-2 overall. It had Offensive Player of the Year in Sherrod Hawkes and Coach of the Year in Matt Collins.

Collins, who took over in 2007, has led Hartnell to a 30-11 record over its past four seasons.

Last season, the Panthers were 13th in the state in scoring at almost 40 points a game. The defense was ninth in the state statistically, allowing 23 points a contest.

They played in a bowl game for the third time in four years, falling to offensive-minded Contra Costa 34-27 in the Living Breath Foundation Bowl at Rabobank Stadium. Contra Costa denied Hartnell back-to-back bowl wins for the first time since 1987-88.

Even with the turnover that is prevalent in junior college local talent, and not just the players, most of the coaching staff have ties to one of the high schools or Hartnell itself.

One of those is Justyn Gutierrez, who will likely see more time at quarterback this season.

“As a team, we’re trying to gel together,” said Gutierrez, a North Salinas High alum. “That’s the main thing. We’re practicing, seeing each other around campus, trying to become one.”

Gutierrez said there was plenty he learned last season, and he and the rest of the team will try to apply it to what they hope will be a successful 2015 run.

The team has practiced for a couple of months getting ready for the season, although for many players, it seems like running and lifting sessions and practices began in December.

They haven’t had any scrimmages against other teams, so Saturday will be the first time they’ll oppose someone else.

“It never seems like football season is over,” said sophomore lineman Branden Pena.

Pena and Gutierrez said Collins and the rest of the coaching staff have taught them how to fine tune their techniques as well as be leaders on the field.

“When you get to college, there’s still a lot you learn,” Gutierrez said. “You learn about your position and other teammates’ positions and how it all comes together on the field during a game.”

Defensive end Reggie McGee, a sophomore from Maryland, said the defense will set the tone.

The defense allowed 121.5 rushing yards a game.

“We take pride in the defensive line,” McGee said. “It starts with us.”

Even though the team was near the top in both offense and defense last year, Gutierrez said the defense will likely shine brighter.

Hartnell allowed 16 points or fewer four times, all wins. It allowed just nine to Yuba in its opener last year, a 53-9 decision.

Pena said the special teams will surprise opponents.

“We blocked a lot of kicks and brought back balls to the house,” Pena said. “That set up our team for some more big plays.”

This year’s schedule will mirror last year’s, and in exactly the same order.

Hartnell has nonconference games at Yuba, at home against College of Redwoods and at Mendocino.

Conference play starts Sept. 26 against Cabrillo. Its annual battle with MPC is Oct. 24, and the regular season finale is Nov. 14 at West Hills in Coalinga.

“We have unfinished business from last year,” Pena said. “We were so close. We want to go 11-0.”